ObjectiveKnowledge on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in liver transplant recipients is lacking, particularly in terms of severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic, baseline clinical characteristics and early outcomes of a European cohort of liver transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.DesignWe conducted an international prospective study across Europe on liver transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by microbiological assay during the first outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, management of immunosuppressive therapy and outcomes were collected.Results57 patients were included (70% male, median (IQR) age at diagnosis 65 (57–70) years). 21 (37%), 32 (56%) and 21 (37%) patients had one cardiovascular disease, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus, respectively. The most common symptoms were fever (79%), cough (55%), dyspnoea (46%), fatigue or myalgia (56%) and GI symptoms (33%). Immunosuppression was reduced in 22 recipients (37%) and discontinued in 4 (7%). With this regard, no impact on outcome was observed. Forty-one (72%) subjects were hospitalised and 11 (19%) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. Overall, we estimated a case fatality rate of 12% (95% CI 5% to 24%), which increased to 17% (95% CI 7% to 32%) among hospitalised patients. Five out of the seven patients who died had a history of cancer.ConclusionIn this European multicentre prospective study of liver transplant recipients, COVID-19 was associated with an overall and in-hospital fatality rate of 12% (95% CI 5% to 24%) and 17% (95% CI 7% to 32%), respectively. A history of cancer was more frequent in patients with poorer outcome.

Objective-To determine whether the participants in a clinical trial had perceived adequate information about the trial according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.Design-About 18 months after the end of a gynaecological clinical trial the participants received a questionnaire by post, which focused on the quality of the information given to them before entering the trial. Neither researchers nor participants were aware in advance that the trial would become the subject of this follow up investigation.Setting-Eight different centres in Sweden. Subjects-43 women out of the 53 who completed the trial (mean (range) age 23 (16 to 35) years) returned the questionnaire.Main outcome measures-Adequacy of the information (based on requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki) to enable the following: understanding of the aims of the study; awareness of what participation meant; and awareness of the possibility of withdrawing from participation at any time. Motives for agreeing to participate, and a subjective evaluation of the given information were also recorded.Results-All but one of the participants had been aware that they were taking part in a research project. Five women stated that they had not been aware that a second laparoscopy was performed only for research reasons. Seven women reported that they had not been aware of the meaning of participating in the project and 17 that they had had no information about the possibility of withdrawing from the study whenever they wanted. In the subjective rating 22 women considered the information given as good or very good. There was a systematic variation in the quality of the given information among the eight centres.Conclusion-Although all but one of the participants had been aware that they were

The prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs), but no clinical evidence of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), are largely unknown. A prospective study of AMA incidence was conducted through a nation-wide network of 63 French immunology laboratories. Clinical data from 720 of 1,318 AMApositive patients identified in 1 year were collected. Patients were categorized as either newly diagnosed with PBC (n 5 275), previously diagnosed with PBC (n 5 216), or with nonestablished diagnosis of PBC (n 5 229). The latter group was specifically evaluated. Follow-up data were collected for up to 7 years after detection of AMAs. Prevalence of AMApositive patients without evidence of PBC was 16.1 per 100,000. These patients had the following characteristics: 78% female; median age 58 years; median AMA titer 1:160; extrahepatic autoimmune disorders 46%; normal serum alkaline phosphatases (ALP) 74%; ALP above 1.5 times the upper limit of normal 13%; and cirrhosis 6%. Compared to those newly diagnosed with PBC, the patients were slightly younger, had lower AMA titers, and lower sex-ratio imbalance. Among the patients with normal ALP and no evidence of cirrhosis, the 5-year incidence rate of PBC was 16%. Whereas no patients died from PBC, the 5-year survival rate was 75%, as compared to 90% in a control, standardized population matched for age and sex (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Nearly half of the newly detected AMAs in clinical practice does not lead to a diagnosis of PBC. PBC is unrecognized in 13% of those cases. Only 1 in 6 patients with AMAs and normal ALP will develop PBC after 5 years. The mortality of AMA-positive patients without PBC is increased irrespective of the risk of PBC development. (HEPATOLOGY 2017;65:152-163).

Hepatitis C viral infection persists and becomes chronic in a majority of affected individuals. Numerous factors have been described to explain how the virus manages to escape the host immune system. One important escape mechanism is the increase in regulatory T cells induced by the virus. In this review, we will focus on the status of regulatory T cells throughout the natural history of hepatitis C infection and after liver transplantation. The molecular mechanisms involved in increasing the number of regulatory T cells are also discussed, as are data regarding the impact of regulatory T-cells on hepatic fibrosis in the context of hepatitis C viral infection.